Black Notice
by SilverWolf7
Summary: Pansy is summoned to Professor Snape's office where she gets the worst news of her young life to date.
1. Chapter One

Black Notice

Pansy Parkinson was in the Slytherin Common Room when 'it' happened. She was working on her Transfiguration homework, hoping not to get too low a mark when Professor Snape entered the Room, looked about quickly with those sharp eyes of his and shouted her name when he spotted her.

"Miss Parkinson! My office, now!"

Wondering what it was that she had done to earn the anger of her Head of House, she slowly got up, shrugged to her friends, Millicent and her boyfriend Blaise, and made her lonely way to the office she was ordered to.

Once inside, she sat on the seat offered to students on detention and looked up at the Potion's Professor through guarded brown eyes. "Am I in trouble sir?" She asked.

"No, you are not. I am, instead, the bearer of bad news. Professor Dumbledore is sent letters every now and then which the Head of House is asked to give the student in question." With that said, Professor Snape put his hands into one of the pockets on his robes and pulled out a plain black envelope, Pansy's name written in silver across one side.

Her blood chilled. She knew what one of these letters meant. Someone in her family had died. She hoped perhaps that it was her Aunt Morag, whom she didn't like very much.

With trembling hands, she slowly reached out and grabbed the envelope from her Professor, slowly traced the silver letters with her fingers, as if trying to magic them into someone elses name. It didn't work. The name stayed hers, stubbornly so in her panicking mind.

Who was it?! Her breath quickened as she turned the letter over and slowly looked at the seal that she had so many times seen. The seal of the Ministry of Magic. The letter was indeed no joke.

Taking in a huge gulp of air, she broke the seal with her fingers and lifted the flap that showed the letter inside. It was the same plain black as the envelope, the same seal showing proudly in white ink. She didn't want to read the letter underneath it, but knew she must. She needed to know.

Going at a snail's pace, she lifted the letter out, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened her eyes as she exhaled.

The letter, if it didn't hold such horrible news would have been what she thought of as pretty. Written in white ink that almost seemed to glow, she read the words slowly and carefully on the page.

She almost collapsed as the truth sank in on what the note said. She dropped the note and buried her head in her hands.

Her parents were dead. Killed in some 'freak accident'. Pansy immediately knew that it was because her family had opted to leave the Dark Lord and their 'evil' ways behind them. Why else would her house burn down...even if the Dark Mark wasn't showing above the ruins.

A strangled sound of anguish escaped her as arms wrapped about her. Regardless of what everyone from other Houses may think, Professor Snape cared about his Slytherins.

The door to the office opened and Draco sauntered in, shattering what little control Pansy had over her emotions. She began crying fiercly onto Professor Snape's shoulder, soaking his robes with her tears.

"Who was it?" Draco asked coldly, as he spotted the black notice.

"Her parents, Master Malfoy." Her Professor answered just as coldly back.

Wit a grunt of disapproval, Draco sneered at her crying form. "Then she is of no more use to me..." With that, he strolled back out the door, shutting it behind him with a soft click of finality.

Pansy knew what he meant by that. Both he and herself were from prominent pureblood families and an arranged marriage had been set for them. While Pansy knew she wasn't the most attractive girl at the school, she had always hated not being able to choose who she wanted to marry.

With her parents now dead and knowing no other family member would take her in, she would be as low as a mudblood to the rich, snobby Slytherin's like Draco.

She soon left Professor Snape's office, heading towards the Slytherin Dorms, knowing she was now going to be shunned by most.

She hated that she was right.

A/N - Well, since it has been so long since I have updated any of my Harry Potter fics, I decided to write yet another short one-shot, but this one, if people want me to continue, could become a chaptered story, though it would be short. Thanks for all your opinions, if I get any, lol. R/r, please.


	2. Chapter Two

Black Notice - Chapter Two

It was breakfast too early for Pansy the next morning. She had little sleep throughout the night and her face was all blotchy and red from crying. To shame her even further, Millicent, whom she had thought of as a friend, had turned her back when comfort was most needed.

Slowly she climbed off her bed, knowing it would just be worse if she avoided meals. Though the thought of food in her stomach made her feel slightly ill, the thought of being completely abandoned was enough of a motivator to get her going to the Great Hall for breakfast.

As she feared, all the Slytherins avoided her like the plague with the exception of the two youngest grades who were still getting used to the Slytherin way of life...if they weren't already. They were far too young to hang out with though.

She was hit with a longing to just go home and forget about the rest of her time at Hogwarts. The truth hit her even harder. Her home was no more. It had burnt down to nothing, just like her life here, now.

Tears formed in her eyes as this thought nudged its way into her head. She lowered her eyes to her plate and began to pick at scrambled eggs while slowly chewing on a dry piece of toast.

Her tears were shed silently, while the people were busy laughing and having a good breakfast about her. One by one her fellow Slytherins got up and left, going back to their dorms to get ready for their lessons that day.

Soon she was alone apart from a few stragglers, mostly from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.

Two of the Gryffindors were Harry Potter and his best friend Ron Weasley. It hadn't been lost to most of the Slytherins that the Golden Saviour, Potter was still grieving over the loss of Black. Pansy had been quite surprised when Draco had told her that the criminal was Potter's Godfather.

She felt somewhat of a kinship with the Gryffindor now. With her own parents so recently deceased and his long dead, she wondered what life was truly like for him living with Muggle relatives?

Would she have to live with Muggles herself if she couldn't stay here over the holidays? The thought sent a chill down her spine. She would have no idea how to act or think around them if she did. Furthermore, Potter hadn't said any good things about the relatives he lived with....perhaps they were as strict or uncaring as Draco's parents were?

Shaking her head of such thoughts, she slowly got to her feet and made her way back to her bed, where she managed to find her Transfiguration book that Millicent must have dumped there the night before. The thought that her due homework wasn't finished almost made her panic. What would her parents think if their only daughter owled them to say....

Gone. Her family. Her home. Her life in Slytherin for the past five years. Her friends. Now it seemed even her schoolwork didn't like her.

She refused to let the tears welling in her eyes fall this time. She would _not_ give any Slytherins who might still talk to her a reason to back away. After all, it is a most un-Slytherin thing to do....crying that is.

Taking some deep breaths, she reasoned that McGonagall would have been told of...recent events in her home life and she would be exempt from the homework she had been only halfway through until called to her Head of House to recieve the darkest news of her life to date.

Sighing, she made her way to McGonagall's class, Transfiguration being the first lesson today and shared with the Ravenclaws.

She was shunned the whole lesson, making the inquisitive Ravenclaws curious about why. The class seemed to drag on slowly and she sighed in relief as the bell rang, indicating second period had started.

McGonagall called out her name for her to stay behind, telling her that she wanted to talk privately to her.

"Miss Parkinson. I have been informed of...recent events and I wanted to tell you that if you ever want to talk that the teachers here would gladly listen." McGonagall announced, making Pansy shift uneasily on the spot.

"Thanks Professor....I am sorry for not finishing my homework." Pansy apologised, looking down at her toes as she said it.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. It is understandable that you didn't finish. If you did, I would have been even more worried than I am." McGonagall looked closely at her then and stated what she had observed during the class.

"Why were you sitting alone? I thought that your friends would be swarming about you like teenagers have the habit of dong if another has suffered such a loss?"

Pansy laughed then, a shrill noise that didn't have the slightest bit of humour in it and a little more hysteria than she wanted. "I am Slytherin Professor. What friends?"

With that said, Pansy turned about and walked out of the door leaving behind her a worried Professor.

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"I am worried about Miss Parkinson. She is not taking the news of her parents' death very well. Perhaps you should speak to her, Severus."

With a frown that was very common nowadays for him to wear, the Potions Professor nodded and looked at Minerva. "How was she in classes today?"

"Every one of her schoolmates kept away from her. She needs someone right now. Poor dear."

"Master Malfoy came into the office after I had delivered her the letter. I had no choice but to tell him who had died. He undoubtedly told everyone else. She will be shunned by the rest of the Slytherins."

Minerva's face fell into a sad frown. "Is there nothing you can do?"

Severus shook his head, no. "If she had friends that were true or loyal to her, they will start talking to her again given time. Until then, she will be alone."

"If? Such a small word, but with such a big meaning. Would it hurt her to find friends outside of her own House?"

Severus looked to the Head of Gryffindor House, a thoughtful expression on his otherwise dour face. "Perhaps. For the time being, I will talk to her."

With that said, the Potions Professor steeled himself with thoughts of what he would have to tell the young woman of his House.

A/N - And another chapter has been written! I was astounded to get 5 reviews for the first, since it was a Pansy story and not many have been written about her. Yet.  Hehe.  Anyhoo, feel proud, I got this to you all even though I am in the middle of NaNoWriMo...alright, I am almost to my 50 000 words and am nowhere near finished my story.  I am very proud to be able to write somethign so big...and it is only 6 chapters long so far...

Well, thanks go to Sly-pansy, sugarbabe1, Lilybee2003, Barbara Kennedy and SSC for reviews.  I love you guys for liking a good ol' Pansy fic when so many others would be scared away.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

She had been summoned back to Professor Snape's office, something she wasn't looking forward to at all. She knew that her other teachers, especially McGonagall and Flitwick would tell her Head of House about her...behaviour in class.

She hoped that she wouldn't be yelled at for her inability to finishing her homework. Still, she slowly got up off the couch she had been sitting on and made her way out of the quietly abandoned Common Room and into the equally empty halls of the Hogwarts dungeons.

She made the agonisingly long walk to her Professor's office, her heart beating just that little bit faster the closer she got. She was not looking forward to this at all.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she had done nothing wrong, but that part of hher was hiding. Hiding somewhere inside her mind, along with all the pain and grief she felt.

Finally, the door to Professor Snape's office came into view and she knocked lightly on the door hoping that she had done so too softly for her Head of House to hear.

"Enter." She heard from the other side and, with a huge breath of air that didn't seem to reach her lungs, she slowly reached up one of her hands and reached for the handle to open the door.

She peeked her head about the corner and spotted Professor Snape with his head down and his, in some opinions, favourite quill and red ink working furiously about the page of an essay. She didn't look at whose it was, but at least Snape himself didn't seem angry.

"Sit." Came the gruff voice of her Professor, as he pointed for two seconds at a chair opposite himself, while he scrawled a large A at the top of the paper.

She waited, a little impatiently, as he put the stack of reports he was going through away in a side drawer of his big desk. He began to fidget, a sure sign that the teacher was just as nervous and unsure as she, herself, was.

"All of your Professors are worried about you and thought it to be a good idea if we had a little...talk. I agreed with their little plan, as it was something I would have done anyway."

Pansy just stared. Was it her imagination or did the man in front of her Seem to be nervous? This, she thought to herself, must be a first. She waited until he had stopped his talking and cleared his throat. "About what?" She asked then, not thinking it wise to bring up this strange behaviour in her Head of House.

"About the other Slytherins and how they are reacting towards your new place as an underaged witch who has just been orphaned." Pansy winced at the blunt way her Head of House came out and said it. Couldn't Snape, for once in his life butter words a bit?

"Most...they are treating me like...like dirt. Like I am no better than a Muggleborn. Especially Draco. He has turned everyone against me, Millicent and Blaise too!"

Snape looked as if an idea of his had been justified. "Your friends? Miss Bulstrode and Mister Zabini, they are also not talking to you? Give them a while. If they are real friends, they will begin talking to you again soon."

Pansy squirmed in the seat she was on, suddenly very uncomfortable with the whole conversation. That last sentence wasn't as cheerful as Snape possibly meant it to be. What if they weren't true frien? What if they never talked to her again?

Her Professor sighed. "There isn't a thing I can do about this, you do realise that? Professor McGonagall has suggested you find friends in another House, but that could do more damage than already has been done to your...position in Slytherin."

Pansy thought about that and shrugged. "It is my choice whether or not I do make othher friends isn't it?" She asked, not knowing if she would be allowed.

"You are your own person, Miss Parkinson, especially now. The choice is yours. And again, if you had true friends from your own House, regardless of you interacting with other Houses, they will go back to you given time."

It suddenly occured to her, for the first time ever, she was free to make her own decisions. She didn't have to go about pretending to fawn over Draco, her parents couldn't make her decisions for her and she could make friends with whomever she wants.

The grief that always seemed to be in the back of her mind fled for a whilereplaced by a fierce joy. She would be able to marry who she wanted. Why, she could marry a Mudblood if she truly wanted! Her world had suddenly gotten that little bit bigger and, along with that, brighter.

A smile formed on her face and, without thinking she jumped out of the seat she was in and hUgged her Professor around the waist. She let go fast, before Snape could begin glaring daggers at her. "Thank you Sir!" She stated, before she walked towards the door and waited to be dismissed.

"You can go." Professor Snape said, pointing at the door. Before she had vanished ouut the door, shhe could see another big A forming on another paper.

She made her way back to the Slytherin Common Room and began the homework set for the night. She was in a really good mood and felt up to it. By the time the night had started she was over halfway done! Her teachers would be proud.

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Minerva was busy, as she usually was at this time in the evening, marking all the homework that had been sent in to her for the day.

She was at one of the desks in the Staff Common Room, as Peeves had seen it fit to let off one of the foul smelling dungbombs in her office.

If she could get her hands on the pesky polergeist, she would not hesitate to bringing him straight to Argus to do with as the Caretaker pleased.

The doors opened and Severus slowly stalked into the room. The was no other word to describe his entrance. His cape flew out behind him and the angry sc wl on his face seemed to have deepened. Only to one who knew Severus like she did would notice that most of the anger brewing inside him now was mainly caused by worry over Miss Parkinson.

"Have you spoken to her yet?" She asked, forgetting her work for the time being and decided to grab herself a cup of tea. God knows she could use a bak. She honestly wondered who Severus was trying to punish by giving out extra homework to misbehaving classes, the students or himself?

A grunt was the only answer she recieved until Severus was ushered to a chair, a steaming mug of tea placed in his hands. "Yes. She seemed pleased that I brought up your suggestion of finding friends in other Houses. She would too, knowing her."

"What does that mean, Severus?" Minerva asked, sitting opposite the Potions Professor.

"Her parents are dead because they decided to go against the Dark Lord. Her House has betrayed her. She is quite willing enough to betray what little she has left of her reputation by becoming friends with other children in other Houses."

Minerva thought on that bit of news thoughtfully, slowly sipping at her tea and chewing her bottom lip. A nervous gesture few knew she had. "Do you believe her to be in any...danger. From Mister Malfoy and his friends?"

Severus stared blankly at her for a few moments befoore shrugging slightly. "At the moment, I very much doubt it, but if she does manage to find friends outside the Slytherin walls, they could decide to gang up on her."

Minerva nodded, lapsing into silence. She feared that one day Pansy would get into trouble by her own peers. Until then she would have to go about trying to keep her out of trouble. Nodding to herself, she finished her tea before it could grow cold and went back over to the desk she was working at.

She set about marking the papers, though her mind wasn't fully on the job.

A/N - Another chapter done and wow! I cannot believe that t is story reached 14 reviews in the first two! A lot more people than I first imagined actually like this story! You people are so cool! All nine of you!

Thanks go to my reviewers for the last chapter:

uten, Em Starcatcher (glad you like it anyway), SSC, Vinese, Barbara Kennedy, dumbrunette23, Lilybee2003 (I was plannign quite a nice little Albus and Pansy talk, don't you worry about that, hehehe), Kemenran, ZarabadSly


	4. Chapter Four

Black Notice

Chapter Four

"Hello." Came an unexpected voice from behind Pansy. Care of Magical Creatures had just started and the class had been divided up into groups of four. As there is an odd amount of Slytherins and Gryffindors she obviously was the one to be sent go work on a team with three Gryffindors.

Three males walked towards her and Pansy was suddenly thinking of where the missing girl was. "Hi." She said, waving slightly at the three males. Two of which made up the Gryffindor trio all Slytherins should hate. The other being the klutz Neville Longbottom.

"Are you going to join us, or just stand about in your own little world?" Red-headed Ron asked. His voice, of course, held much animosity, making the creature in the cage next to them squirm uncomfortably.

She had never stated before to other Slytherins, but she rather enjoyed Care of Magical Creatures, even if it was rather dangerous with the Half-giant Hagrid in charge of classes still. As such, she found herself walking towards them, hoping to at least try and enjoy the lesson.

Neville looked nervous to have her in their tight knit group, but she couldn't really blame him for that, after some of the rather nasty things she had done and said to him throughout their school years.

Ron looked rather harassed at her being there, wishing instead that she were Granger she was betting. It was plain for all to see that they were a couple nowadays.

Potter...Harry just looked tired. There were bags under his eyes, he looked perpetually sad and his back stooped a little. She found herself thinking something she had never truly thought of before...just how would he feel being the supposed saviour of the Wizarding world.

Still, he managed to give her a slight smile, not truly caring what House she was from. That surprised her for a moment before another realisation struck her...he just didn't care anymore! The world was, in a way, on his shoulders and he couldn't hold petty grudges for a quarter of the school. In fact, the only one he didn't truly get along with was Draco. No wonder he didn't react to anything said to him nowadays...unless it came from the Malfoy brat.

Looking into the crate on one side, the other three taking a corner of their own, she recognised the creature as a mix between a lion and an eagle. She smiled at it. Griffins! She had always liked the animals, intelligent and neutral, they were very much like herself.

This was a baby though and Pansy had to wonder what had happened to its parents.

"Right! We all ready then? Well! Get 'em out o' their cages, they won't hurt yeh. They have been raised by people and are quite tame." Pansy thought a moment about how 'quite' tame they truly were, but joined Neville who was at the side of the crate that opened. It was plain that the bumbling boy was about as indecisive as she was.

She was being stared at and turning slightly, realised that the three boys were wanting her to open it up. With a sigh and slight shake of her head, she slowly unhinged the crate and opened it, making sure that it couldn't escape before slowly putting a hand in front of it to sniff at.

When it didn't try to take a chunk out of her skin, she reached fully into the crate and slowly lifted it out, careful of sharp talons on its front feet. Claws were still retracted on its hind feet and, without any trouble it curled itself up in her arms and began squeaking loudly for all to hear.

She smiled brightly at it, before hearing something she thought she would never hear. Hagrid grinned down at her and said in a very loud, "Very good, Miss Parkinson."

The whole class turned to look at her. She hadn't realised that she had been the only one to reach in and grab the griffin in the crate she was beside. She wrapped her hands more tightly about the creature and it gave a distinct grunt.

She loosened her grip and lifted one hand up to gently stroke the feathery head. The golden brown feathers were not yet developed fully, only a few true feathers had formed and grey down covering most of the front part of the body and head. The other half was the slightly spotted brownish fur of a young lion cub.

"This, class, is a Griffin. These fella's were sold as eggs and their parents shot outta the sky. A friend let me borrow the hatchlings, but it seems he didn't want 'em any more. I thought yeh might have fun raisin' them yerselves since yer 7th year students."

Pansy looked towards the three males she was working with, quite sure that the silent tears she was shedding would make them laugh.

"We should give it a name then." She stated, sitting heavily on the ground hugging the creature towards her.

Looking around at the other Griffins now out of their crates and noting that this was the only one which would have golden feathers, the others all having the more conventional plain brown, she decided that a name depicting that would be good. Not wanting to see but wanting to know the sex of the baby animal, she lifted it up so it was standing on its hind legs and got one of the boys to tell her what it was.

"It's a boy." Ron, the one in front of it stated, before looking quickly away.

A boy...now to think of a name.

"Sunrise...Sunset?" Came the voice of Harry, but she and the other two shook their heads.

"Dusk, since Dawn is a girls name?" Asked Ron. Again shaking of heads followed.

Pansy then smirked and looked towards the red head. "How about naming it Ron Jr.?" Amazingly enough Neville snorted in suppressed humour and Harry grinned.

Ron rolled his eyes and scowled at her.

"How about....Glory? It may be a female's name, but in a way it would suit him. I mean, he will grow up golden and bright?"

Neville looked embarrassed by his name, but the others thought about it and Pansy pictured quite clearly in her head a golden Griffin flying and nodded. "It would suit him. I like it."

"I agree." Harry replied, before Ron gave a slight nod of his head in the affirmative.

Neville looked quite pleased with himself and Pansy couldn't help but snort in humour. Who would have thought someone with a pet toad called Trevor would be good at naming pets and animals.

"Someone else named your pet, didn't they?" She asked Longbottom, not surprised when he nodded.

The rest of the lesson passed by in a blur and it could possibly be the best class she had experienced since Professor Grubbly-Plank had taught them about Unicorns. The four had taken it in turns of holding the baby which started screeching for food halfway through the lesson and was fed a few pieces of raw meat chunks.

It didn't eat too much and she couldn't help but sympathize with the creature she held. She too didn't have much of an appetite and surely he knew he wasn't being raised by his own kind.

She watched as Harry slowly lowered Glory back into his crate and closed it, saying good bye to the animal, just as the bell for the next class rang.

She walked to catch up to him as Harry and Ron were making their way to Charms. "Where was Granger today?" She asked, not realising that Hermione hadn't been in Care of Magical Creatures all year.

Ron sighed and kept on walking, but Harry stopped and turned towards her. "Care of Magical Creatures is on at the same time as Arithmancy, which has always been her favourite class, she quit."

Not having an answer for that, she shrugged and left to go to History of Magic. Who would have thought Know-it-all Granger had it her to quit a lesson?

A/N - Alright, this chapter is a bit smaller than the others, but that is because I wanted the teachers' views on the events of this chapter to be all together, so expect a bigger chapter next time!

It will feature Severus, Minerva, Hagrid (of whom has an extremely hard accent to write!) and, to all of you wondering where he is in all this mess, Dumbledore! Yes, there is going to be a meeting between the Headmaster and Pansy. Just not next chapter.

Thanks as always go to my reviewers.

IAMOFDRACO - What should remain with Draco? I got a bit confused there, but thanks for the review anyway. Yes, she is bad, but she is a Slytherin.

smeagol's preciousss - I am glad you think it is great. I have also thought of the interesting characters that always seem toe left behind in fanfiction, such as Pansy.

Kemenran - Here is more. Enjoy!

Barbara Kennedy - I think in a way it would have been an epiphany for her, that is why it was written that way. I am glad someone picked up on that. I think she would have thought on it, but didn't think it would ever happen.

Lilybee2003 - Thank you for thinking my story wonderful still, lol. I am trying to perceive Minerva as a stern, yet kind woman and Severus as the Head of Slytherin House. I mean, he would have to talk to the students in his House with matters such as these.

Slytherin-girl TF lover - Harry/Pansy huh? Could be, might not be. Draco/Pansy, yes, I clearly see them two together much more myself, but for the sake of this story...


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